Folding carriage



(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. B. R. HALL 8a A. ANDERSON.

FOLDING CARRIAGE.

Patented Dec. 14

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sh eet 2. B. R. HALL & A. ANDERSON.

4 FOLDING CARRIAGE.

No. 595,386. Patented Dec. 14,1897.

UNITED STAT S PATENT EETcE.

BURROUGHS R. HALL AND ANDREW ANDERSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FOLDING CARRIAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,386, dated December 14:, 1897.

Application filed March 31 1897.

To otZZ whom it may concern.-

' marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in folding carriages adapted for the use of children, or, in other words, baby-carriages; and our object is to provide a construction of this class which may be quickly and easily folded up or reduced to a small compass, as occasion may requlre.

To this end the invention consists of the features, arrangements, and combinations hereinafter described and claimed,all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved carriage. Fig. 2 is an end view 'of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view, the construction being partly folded. Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the manner of locking the hinged end bars in place. Fig. 5 illustrates the ball-j oint employed in the construction. Fig. 6 shows the means for supporting the canopy or shade. Fig. 7 illustrates one of the end bars centrally hinged. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the central block and brace-bars.

Similar reference-characters indicating corresponding parts in the views, let the reference-characters 5 and 5 designate thelower members, and 6 and 6 the upper members, of the bars composing the sides of the carriageframework. The parts 5 and 6 on the same side of the carriage are rigidly connected with each other, forming in effect a continuous bar.

This is also true of the members 5* and 6. The two bars composed of the members 5 6 and 5 6 are hinged together at 7, where they interward pressure thereon.

Serial No. 630,190. (No model.)

sect or cross each other. These bars form the skeleton framework of the carriage sides. The side frames are connected below the join ts 7 by four brace-bars 9, all of which are hinged to a central block 8, their opposite extremities being respectively connected with the four members 5 and 5 of the frame by means of ball-joints A. (See Fig. 5.) The bars 9 are so hinged to the block 8 that no movement will result from downward pressure on the block. To the top of the block are also hinged two braces 10, whose upper extremities are provided with books adapted to enter sockets in the joints 7. These braces 10 hold the block 8 down and prevent the construction from collapsing or folding until the hooks are disengaged or removed from the sockets. The members 6 and 6 on each side of the frame are connected by two bars 12, hinged together at 33 in such a manner that there will be no movement of the joints by down- The other extremities of the bars 12 are suitably hinged to the members 6 6*, respectively.

The receptacle 13 for the child should be composed of some suitable flexible material suitably connected with the bars 12 and the members 6 6 of the frame. As shown in the drawings, the bars 12 are surrounded by rings 14, attached to the bottom of the receptacle 13, while other rings 14 are attached to the ends of the receptacle and engage hooks 15, fast on the members 6 and 6 The transverse end bars 16 connect the upper extremities of the members 6 and 6. These bars 16 are hinged at one extremity and detachably connected at the opposite extremity, (see Fig; 4,) or they may be each composed of two parts hinged to the members 6 and 6, while their inner extremities are hinged together and adapted to fold. (See Fig. 7.) In the construction shown in Fig. 4 one extremity of the transverse bar is formed into a hook 16*, adapted to engage a pin 17,

carried by a clasp 17, attached to the upper extremity of one of the frame-bars. This hooked extremity of the bar is locked in place by means of a spring-held dog 18, having a beveled face engaging the hooked end of the bar. The dog is supported by a coil-spring 19, suitably seated in the side-bar adjacent ICO the hooked end of the bar 16, which may be unlocked by pressing the dog downward.

The canopy or shade 20 is composed of flexible material and attached to the receptacle 13 in any suitable manner. \Vhen not in use, this canopy drops downward into the bottom of the receptacle and is not observed. \Vhen in use, the canopy is supported by a small rod 21, detachably connected with the upper member of one of the frame-bars. Pivotally attached to the rod .31 at a suitable point 22 is a shorter rod 23, which cooperates with the rod 21 in supporting the canopy. (See Fig. 6.) V hen the canopy-supporting devices are not in use, they may be folded up and inserted in one of the tubular frame-bars, whose outer extremity is left open for this purpose.

The carriage is mounted on suitable wheels 25, attached to the members 5 and 5" of the frame in any suitable manner.

\Vhen not in use, the carriage maybe folded to occupy very small compass or space comparatively. To fold the mechanism, the hooked extremities of the braces 10 should first be detached from the sockets in the joints 7, after which the block 8 may be pressed upwardly. Then by detaching one extremity of each end bar 16 or pressing upwardly on its central hinged portion and also upon the joint 33, connecting the bars 12, all the members of the construction may be folded together without any difficulty. The manner of folding is illustrated in Fig. 3. In this view the receptacle l3 and the canopy 20 are detached. These, however, need not be removed in order to fold the mechanism, which, it is evident, will operate equally well when these flexible members are in place.

It must be understood that this mechanism maybe employed in many other relations than thatherein explained without departing from the spirit of the invention-as, for instance, in many articles of furniture. Hence we do not limit the invention to carriages, but claim the same broadly in all the varied relations in which it may be advantageously employed.

All parts of the framework are preferably composed of tubular bars in order to obtain the maximum strength and durability from a given weight of material.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In a construction of the class described, the combination of the two pairs of side framebars each pair being crossed and pivoted together at the point of intersection, the transverse end bars connecting the side frames at the top, said bars being hinged and adapted to fold, a central bloclglocated below the pivotal point of the sides, brace-bars hinged to said block and connected with the frame-bars by ball-joints, and braces hinged to said central block, their free extremities being detachably connected with the side frames.

2. The combination of two side frames each composed of two bars crossed and pivoted together at their points of intersection, hinged end bars connecting the side frames at the top, and means for connecting the side frames below their pivoted joints, comprising a central block and four brace-bars each being hinged to said block at one extremity and c011- nected with one of the frame-bars at the opposite extremity by means of a ball-joint, and two braces each being hinged to the block at one extremity and detachably connected with the side frames at the opposite extremity.

3. The combination of two side frames each composed of two bars crossed and pivoted together at their points of intersection, the hinged end bars connecting the side frames at the top, means for connecting the side frames below their pivoted joints, said means comprising a central block and four bracebars each being hinged to said block at one extremity and connected with one of the frame-bars at the opposite extremity by means of a ball-joint, two braces each being hinged to the block at one extremity and detachably connected with the side frames at the opposite extremity, and a suitable flexible receptacle mounted 011 the folding frame.

at. The combination of two side frames each composed of two bars crossed and pivoted together at their points of intersection, the hinged end bars connecting the said frames at the top, means for connecting the side frames below their pivotal joints, said means comprising a central block and four bracebars each hinged to said block at one extremity and connected with one of the frame-bars at the opposite extremity by means of a balljoint, two braces each hinged to the block at one extremity and detachably connected with the frames at the opposite extremity, and a suitable flexible receptacle mounted on the folding frame, a flexible canopy attached thereto, and suitable means for supporting the canopy, substantially as described.

5. The combination of two side frames each composed of two bars crossed and pivoted at their points of intersection, the hinged end bars connecting the side frames at the top and arranged to allow the mechanism to fold, means for connecting the side frames below the said points of intersection, said means comprising a central block and four bracebars each hinged to said block at one extremity, and movably connected with one of the frame -bars at the opposite extremity, two braces each hinged to the block at one extremity and detachably connected with the side frames at the opposite extremity, a suitable flexible receptacle mounted on the folding frame, a flexible canopy attached thereto and suitable means for supporting the canopy comprising a rod detachably connected with the folding frame and having an arm pivoted thereon at some distance from its free extremity.

6. A folding carriage comprising two side frames each composed of two crossed bars pivotally connected at their' points of intersection, the transverse end bars connecting the IIC side frames and arranged to permit the construction to fold, means for connecting the side arms below the joints, comprising a central block and four brace-bars hinged thereto, the opposite extremity of each brace-bar being connected with the frame-bar by a balljoint, braces hinged to the said block and havin g their opposite extremities detachably connected with the'bars of the side frames, and 

